Importance Of Relationships In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

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“A healthy relationship doesn’t drag you down. It inspires you to be better.” (Mandy Hale) This powerful quote relates to the manifold relationships in Of Mice and Men, because the most powerful relationship in the story was built upon individual assets coming together to create a successful trio. While the destructive relationship in the book is the entirety of the quote, as George is the one being dragged down. Of Mice and Men written by John Steinbeck features two migrant workers, George and Lennie who acquire jobs at a ranch after running out of their previous town due to conflict. The two are hustling to make their dream a reality, but the problems they face put their dream at great risk of never coming true. Lennie’s obsession with soft …show more content…

Candy is willing to provide for the good of the group, which allows Lennie to take care of the rabbits, while giving George his own place to work and settle in. Having Candy along gives George the companion he needed, providing a balance within the three. Despite George and Lennie being involved in a very positive relationship, the two of them on their own create a very toxic relationship. George is often repressed by Lennie without Lennie being aware of what he’s really doing. George is basically Lennie’s caregiver because he is constantly reminding him what was said, and what to do in trouble, so Lennie has an advantage in the relationship over George. When conversing with Slim about Lennie, George stated that he “ ‘ Used to play jokes on ‘im ‘cause he was too dumb to take care of ‘imself…. That wasn’t so damn much fun after a while.’ “ (40) George in the beginning would exploit Lennie’s slowness by telling him to do things that were dangerous. After time passed, George stopped having fun with it because it was a bittersweet realisation that Lennie would always be easily